Integrated prevention and control of chemical pollution of surface waters

The approach to tackling chemical pollution of surface water is embedded in the wider strategic approach established in the 1970s. The WFD fully incorporates and updates this long-term policy into an integrated, flexible and modern response to the persistent threats posed by excessive concentrations of chemical substances in EU waters. Accompanied by a proposal for a Directive on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy, this Communication presents the wider conceptual framework and the reasoning behind the policy approach chosen by the Commission.